Stains on the sofa are a problem known to probably everyone. It would seem that it is simply impossible to remove them and you need to take the furniture to a dry cleaner, paying for this considerable amount. But today there are a lot of proven ways to remove stains from a sofa at home. Some methods have been known for a long time, and others appeared later, as cleaning preparations were released.

Practical recommendations

Before starting to remove the stain, you need to know some points. Thanks to them, you can get rid of greasy dirt and carry out cleaning as efficiently as possible. Among the basic rules, it should be noted:

  • Bleach and vinegar should not be used undiluted.
  • To clean a white sofa, you need to use only light-colored rags, since colored fabric can stain the upholstery.
  • If the sofa is made of flock, it is necessary to make sure that the cleaning agent does not contain alcohol.
  • Furniture upholstery made of microfiber allows you to use only dry cleaning methods. It is allowed to resort to wet ones in extreme cases.
  • All cleaning agents should first be tested on inconspicuous areas of the furniture (bottom or back).
  • Before global cleaning, it is recommended to lay polyethylene around the sofa, remove all pillows and remove the cover.
  • It is very difficult to wash off old pollution, so it is better to start removing the pollution immediately after its detection.
  • The means used to remove dirt should not be applied to the surface of the sofa, but to a napkin, and then wipe the stain with it.
  • In order not to spoil the appearance of the upholstery, you should clean in the direction of the fibers.
  • You can’t rub from the center to the edges – this way you can only make more divorces.

Before starting to remove dirt from the sofa, it is necessary to get rid of dust and debris. There are two ways to do this – to clean with a vacuum cleaner, paying attention to the corners and joints, where a large amount of debris usually accumulates, or to knock it out by covering the sofa with a damp cloth. After that, you can start removing stains.

How to clean upholstered furniture at home

Popular methods

To remove stains from the sofa, you can first try a universal method – soapy foam. It should be applied to the contaminated area, left for 8-15 minutes, and then rinsed with water. If this method did not help, then you can try others: a solution of water and 9% vinegar (2:1) or a mixture of warm water with shampoo and 10 drops of ammonia. These methods usually help (especially with tea or coffee stains).

But if it was not possible to achieve the result, then you should not be upset: it is still possible to remove stains on the sofa at home. For example, if the furniture was dirty:

  • with milk It is necessary to wash it with water and detergent. If the sofa is colored, then you will need 2 spoons of glycerin and water mixed with 2-3 drops of ammonia.
  • blood A fresh stain should be soaked in cold water (not warm or hot!) and washed with laundry soap. If the problem area has already dried up, then you will need ice cubes and a vinegar solution. Hold the first on the stain, and wash the surface with the second. If the sofa is light-colored, then it is necessary to use another solution (0.5 tablespoons of vinegar per half liter of water), which should be used to treat the contamination twice with an interval of 1 hour.
  • with wax First, remove as much wax as possible with a thin object. Then put a cloth on the area with the stain and iron it with an iron, but this must be done very carefully so as not to burn the upholstery of the sofa.
  • Beer To remove such a stain, it is enough to rub a soapy solution on the dirty area, and then wash it with water.
  • Fat In order to clean an oil stain, salt is poured on it for several hours, and then it is treated with a high-quality stain remover.
  • chewing gum The problem area should be cooled, for example, by placing ice cubes on it. When the gum hardens, it will be easy to remove with a knife. If the chewing gum has come off, but the stain remains, then you should use methyl alcohol or acetone.
  • Chocolate. Wet the stain with peroxide and wipe dry with a soft cloth. In the future, try to wash the place where there was pollution or at least wipe it with cold water and dry the upholstery with a hair dryer (cold stream).

Getting rid of heavy stains

You can get rid of the paint that got on the sofa with a solution of cold water and soap. There are special solvents for certain types of paint mixtures.

As for urine, this pollution is not so noticeable, but everything spoils the characteristic smell. To remove a stain from a colored sofa, you need 9% vinegar or potassium permanganate. If the upholstery is light, it is enough to treat the area with a solution of water with hydrogen peroxide (2.5 liters per 100 ml), cover with a film and leave for 5 minutes. After washing with plain water.

In addition, it is difficult to clean:

  • Cat tags. Removing pollution is difficult, but possible. It is necessary to spray a solution of vinegar and water (1:3) on the problem area. While the fabric is not completely dry, pour salt on the stain. At the same time, mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with 4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and treat the upholstery. Cats do not like sour smells, so there is a small chance that the pet will no longer touch the sofa.
  • Red wine. In such a situation, it is necessary to act quickly. A stain that has not had time to dry should be soaked with a napkin, and then salt should be poured on it so that it absorbs moisture. After that, it remains to walk over the problem place with a cloth soaked in ethyl alcohol.
  • Juice. Here you will need a solution of ammonia and 9% vinegar. The composition should be applied to the problem area, then blotted with a dry napkin. Also, a stain remover will cope perfectly with this problem.
  • Jam, cream. Such stains are not removed immediately, but allowed to dry and cleaned with a brush. Then wash off with a sponge dipped in soapy water.
  • Pen, felt-tip pen. Apply ammonia or ethyl alcohol to the stain and rinse the area thoroughly with water.

It is quite possible to remove stains from sofa upholstery, but after such procedures, the smell remains, especially from alcohol or vinegar. To get rid of it, you just need to pour baking soda on the treated area and leave it for 30-60 minutes.

How to wash blood from a sofa

Cleaning leather furniture

Most often, such furniture suffers from ink. Traces from a ballpoint pen are well removed by alcohol. If time has passed since the sofa was dirty, then you need the following composition: 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, a couple of spoons of water. This mass is applied to the ink mark and left for 4-6 hours. After everything is washed off.

Leather upholstery can also be washed as follows:

  1. Make a warm soapy solution.
  2. Wet a rag in it and wipe the stain.
  3. Dry with a napkin.

Now you need a conditioner that will protect the skin and refresh its appearance. To obtain such a remedy, you need one part of vinegar with two parts of olive or linseed oil. You need to wipe the treated area with this mixture and leave it for 10 minutes, and then polish the skin with a microfiber cloth.

There are other ways to remove stains from leather furniture:

  1. Smear the problem area with toothpaste and massage with a brush, and then wipe everything with a rag.
  2. Blot the dirt with a cotton pad pre-soaked in nail polish remover.
  3. Spray the problem area with hairspray and rub until everything is cleaned.
  4. Wet a rag in a solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid and wipe the contaminated area.

There is also a very strange, but effective method for removing an ink stain from a leather sofa using tape. It is necessary to firmly stick the sticky tape to the contaminated place and sharply tear it off. Do this several times, after which lubricate the treated area with glycerin or cream.

Special drugs

All of the above methods require time, and this work is painstaking. In such cases, household chemicals will come to the rescue. The most popular stain remover is Vanish. It is effective in removing fatty and fruit impurities. And the well-known “Antipyatin” will help remove stains from blood, fat and grass. Dr. Beckmann is a strong stain remover that can deal with grease, coffee, tea, glue, ink, and milk stains.

It must be taken into account that such means will help to remove only the pollution of the first freshness. Before starting the procedure, you need to remember several rules:

  • preparations cannot be applied to silk, velvet or velor upholstery, as well as if the sofa has wooden or metal inserts;
  • if the upholstery is of a bright color, then the fabric may noticeably turn pale at the place of treatment with drugs;
  • the same Vanish will not remove old stains, but will lead to separations that are difficult to remove even in dry cleaning.

how to wipe the pen

To remove the stain from the sofa using household chemicals, you should perform several actions. Including:

  1. Dilute the product in warm water (40 degrees) in a ratio of 1:9.
  2. Beat the solution so that foam is formed.
  3. Apply foam with a brush to the surface of the sofa.
  4. Leave the product for 20-40 minutes so that it is absorbed.
  5. Wash off.

Caring for furniture is important not only when spots accidentally appear on it. There are several tips for housewives on how to monitor the condition of the sofa:

  1. try to clean the upholstery once a week with a vacuum cleaner;
  2. wash removable covers once every six months;
  3. knock out furniture 2-3 times a month;
  4. do not forget to treat with a means that repels dust.

That’s how easily and inexpensively you can remove stains from your furniture, without the expensive help of dry cleaning. But it is necessary to choose the right compositions so as not to spoil the upholstery.

How to remove stains from a sofa at home